Janice Bellace

Janice Bellace is the Samuel Blank Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, and Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She served as SMU's first President (1999–2001), leading its establishment and development, including faculty recruitment, campus planning, and curriculum design. Post-SMU, she chaired the Wharton-SMU Research Centre and held roles on SMU’s Board of Trustees. Her academic career at the University of Pennsylvania since 1977 includes senior leadership positions such as Deputy Provost (2006–2007) and Associate Provost (2004–2006).

• Education: B.A. and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, M.Sc. from the London School of Economics.
• Research Focus: Labor and employment law, particularly international dimensions, and business ethics.
• Professional Roles: Member of the International Labour Organisation’s Committee of Experts, executive boards of the International Industrial Relations Association, and senior editor of Comparative Labour Law & Policy Journal.

Her leadership at SMU emphasized innovative teaching, student employability, and international collaboration, shaping Singapore’s tertiary education landscape. She championed small-class interactive learning, interdisciplinary programs, and strategic partnerships like the Wharton-SMU collaboration.